This rebirth-consciousness is regarded as pure as it is either devoid of immoral roots of lust, hatred, and delusion accompanied by moral roots.

--------------------------Further information :consciousness is regarded as “radiant”(pabhassara) as it is either devoid of immoralroots of lust, hatred and delusion (as in the case of‘rootless resultants—ahetukavipàka), or accompaniedby moral roots (as in the case of ‘resultants with roots’).

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Please also see page 315 and 316 for death and rebirth thought moments.

We may now consider another situation. When a child is born, s/he has no ‘world’, but for the parents, there is an arrival of a newborn baby to their world. Up to about three months, the infant may not be able to identify an object with the use of five sense organs and the mind. Although the infant possesses the five very important abilities (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling born of body contact), the infant lacks the skill or the knowledge for classification or identification of individual objects or beings with the use of those abilities. The infant’s mind was described by the Buddha as "Pabhassara midam Bhikkave Chittam, Agantukehi sankilitthena Sankilittham" - 'Pure indeed is the original mind. It is contaminated by the external contaminant'’. The external contaminants reach the mind through the senses. The processing and storing of information received through the contacts made by the senses with the external world lead to the contamination of the pure mind.

Hi Mike.Sorry, I think my question is related to Abhidhamma. Hi Gena.I was looking for an answer (further explanation) to this question for a long time. Now I found the answer so I thought I will share it with the forum members for their benefit.

Samatha meditation or first stages of Vipassana meditation bring your mind to the radiant consciousness level (attachment and aversion is suppressed but ignorance not yet eradicated) from that you develop last stages ofVipassana meditation and realise Nirvana.

"For a person practicing form jhāna in either sense of the term, the equanimity experienced with the sense of beautiful radiance can then act as the basis for the formless levels of jhāna, which the Canon terms the four "formlessnesses beyond form." These are invariably defined as progressive absorption in the perceptions of "infinite space," "infinite consciousness," and "there is nothing," leading to a fourth state of neither perception nor non-perception."http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... part3.html=================Is he talking about Radiant Consciousness?

The experts do not say that one is a sage in this world because of view, or learning, or knowledge, Nanda. I call them sages who wander without association, without affliction, without desire.The Buddha, Sn.V.8.2 (1078)

Thanks for the link.Infinitude space etc are fabricated. I am not sure whether they can be regarded as radiant consciousness. This matter is well explained by Ven. Thanissaro.==================§ 182. [On attaining the fourth level of jhāna] there remains only equanimity: pure & bright, pliant, malleable & luminous. Just as if a skilled goldsmith or goldsmith's apprentice were to prepare a furnace, heat up a crucible, and, taking gold with a pair of tongs, place it in the crucible. He would blow on it periodically, sprinkle water on it periodically, examine it periodically, so that the gold would become refined, well-refined, thoroughly refined, flawless, free from dross, pliant, malleable & luminous. Then whatever sort of ornament he had in mind — whether a belt, an earring, a necklace, or a gold chain — it would serve his purpose. In the same way, there remains only equanimity: pure & bright, pliant, malleable, & luminous. He (the meditator) discerns that 'If I were to direct equanimity as pure & bright as this toward the dimension of the infinitude of space, I would develop the mind along those lines, and thus this equanimity of mine — thus supported, thus sustained — would last for a long time. [Similarly with the dimensions of the infinitude of consciousness, nothingness, & neither perception nor non-perception.]'

He discerns that 'If I were to direct equanimity as pure & bright as this toward the dimension of the infinitude of space and to develop the mind along those lines, that would be fabricated. [Similarly with the dimensions of the infinitude of consciousness, nothingness, & neither perception nor non-perception.]' He neither fabricates nor wills for the sake of becoming or un-becoming. This being the case, he is not sustained by anything in the world (does not cling to anything in the world). Unsustained, he is not agitated. Unagitated, he is totally unbound right within. He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'— MN 140http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... part3.html

SarathW wrote:'If I were to direct equanimity as pure & bright as this toward the dimension of the infinitude of space and to develop the mind along those lines, that would be fabricated.

It is the directing of the equanimity, the establishing of it, pure and bright, that it is 'fabricated', not the dimension of the infinite space.

Bhikkhu Hiriko - Ñāṇasuci

The experts do not say that one is a sage in this world because of view, or learning, or knowledge, Nanda. I call them sages who wander without association, without affliction, without desire.The Buddha, Sn.V.8.2 (1078)